Long before I joined The Carter Center as its chief executive officer in August, I knew of its amazing work as an action-oriented nongovernmental organization improving the lives of people worldwide. It is a great honor to join this mission-driven group that pursues with such vigor and effectiveness the vision of President and Mrs. Carter for peace and global human rights.

I recently returned from my first trip with the Carters. Everywhere we went in China, people voiced great respect and appreciation for the values that the Carters embody and for the work of The Carter Center. Those values are reflected in core principles guiding our operations, including the imperative to take action, achieve measurable results, tackle difficult problems despite the possibility of failure, collaborate and form partnerships, and not duplicate the effective work of others, but instead fill gaps.

Already, I have seen these principles applied in a critical way, as Liberian ministries and international health agencies recently asked us to help them communicate to the nation’s rural population accurate information about the Ebola virus. Our longstanding relationships with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Health and Social Welfare led them to reach out to us, and we were able to leverage our well-developed networks of customary and civil society leaders—who partner with us to advance access to justice and freedom of information—to disseminate accurate and culturally sensitive information about Ebola.

By leveraging long-standing relationships in Liberia, The Carter Center is assisting in the dissemination of vital information about Ebola. (Photo: The Carter Center/ M. Darrough)

We are responding in other ways, too. Dr. Janice Cooper, a native Liberian who has headed our mental health clinician training in Liberia, returned this month to Liberia to directly support the Ministry of Health as it battles Ebola. Meanwhile, on short notice, President Carter taped public service messages about the disease prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We are not Ebola experts, but we have been able to quickly repurpose our resources to help local people deal with their most pressing concern. This is only the latest example of the difference we can make when the Center puts solid principles into practice.

In the slideshow below, we follow advisor Stephanie Sayeh as she visits client Massa Sherriff in Peace Island Township, home to many who were forced to flee during Liberia’s long civil …

]]>The Carter Center’s community justice advisors (CJAs) are bringing free legal services – and awareness of how the law should work – to urban slums in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.

In the slideshow below, we follow advisor Stephanie Sayeh as she visits client Massa Sherriff in Peace Island Township, home to many who were forced to flee during Liberia’s long civil conflict that ended in 2003. Massa’s child custody case highlights how community-based approaches are needed to support the post-conflict justice system, and how The Carter Center and its partner, the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), are working to bring legal services to marginalized populations.

(Photos: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

Five years ago, the family of Massa’s boyfriend, Prince, separated the couple because they didn’t approve of Massa – a result of tribal tensions. Massa was forced out into the streets, and her family, living deep in Liberia’s interior forests, was unable to help her. Her six-year-old daughter also was taken from her. After months of searching, Massa found her daughter living with Prince’s new girlfriend, who refused to give up the child even after splitting from Prince. Massa brought her case to Stephanie, and after months of mediation between the parties and pressure from the local police, Massa and her daughter were reunited.

Since 2007, more than 7000 cases across Liberia have been opened by community justice advisors, providing legal advice to many who otherwise could not afford or access it. Young women are the largest group to use these services.

Liberia is a West African country nearly the size of Mississippi with a population of 3.8 million. But unlike many other countries, Liberia only has one practicing psychiatrist. The need for mental …

]]>Benedict Dossen, a native Liberian and an administrator for the Carter Center’s Liberia Mental Health Program, explains what it is like to watch and help his country heal.

Liberia is a West African country nearly the size of Mississippi with a population of 3.8 million. But unlike many other countries, Liberia only has one practicing psychiatrist. The need for mental health services becomes even more pressing in the context of the nation’s recovery from a brutal civil war spanning from the early 1990s through 2003.

Like many of my Liberian colleagues, I have devoted my professional career to helping my nation rebuild.

We face many hardships living in a post-war country — from unemployment to mental illness. I often think about the challenges facing other young people today and find myself asking, “Why is the world so tough?”

As an administrator for the Carter Center’s Liberia Mental Health Program, I have seen first-hand how diagnoses and treatments can benefit not just the patients, but the country as a whole.

Roughly 300,000 Liberians are thought to suffer from some type of mental illness — with up to 40 percent believed to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder alone, as a result of our civil war.

Benedict Dossen, a native Liberian and program administrator for the Carter Center’s mental health work in Liberia, helps hand out diplomas during the graduation of the fifth class of Carter Center-trained mental health clinicians in August 2013. (Photo: The Carter Center)

In Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city, I collaborate with many partners, including the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to expand access to mental health treatment for all those who need it and to help train a new workforce of mental health clinicians.

To date, each of the 15 counties (similar to states) in Liberia has trained clinicians, and eight counties have five or more clinicians. These locally trained nurses and physicians assistants play an important role in helping to integrate mental health care into primary care systems and communities.

The most rewarding part of my work, however, is seeing the direct impact increased access to mental health care has had on the Liberian people. I once met a mother who brought her daughter to the clinic after trying everything she knew to help her daughter’s serious mental illness.

No traditional treatments, no number of prayers, and no amount of help from her neighbors seemed to work on her daughter’s condition.

Yet, after seeking mental health treatment at their local clinic, the daughter’s health improved drastically, so much so that she was hardly recognizable to those who knew her.

This is what we work for. This is the example people need to see. If we can help people address the issues that they have and get rehabilitation, then those people can contribute back to their communities.

Despite the significant challenges my nation faces, I believe there is hope for Liberians facing mental illness. Even the staunchest critic would agree that from one psychiatrist in Monrovia to 100 mental health clinicians in all 15 counties with more to come — this is a good bridge. This is increasing access.

In celebration of International Right to Know Day on Sept. 28, 2013, The Carter Center and local partners in Liberia hosted a series of activities to raise awareness of the value of freedom of information and to encourage the use and full implementation of the country’s 2010 Freedom of Information Act.

The Carter Center and local partners in Liberia celebrate International Right to Know Day in Buchanan, Liberia, on Sept. 28, 2013. (Video: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

Freedom of information is a fundamental human right. It allows people to more fully participate in public life, have a voice in setting government priorities, fight corruption, and hold governments accountable. It also helps to make governments more efficient and effective.

The week of celebratory events began with the training of newly appointed information officers, including a special session led by Melanie Pustay, director of the Office of Information Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Next, the University of Liberia screened the movie “Erin Brockovich” — a film about an American legal clerk who uncovers critical information which helps her win a case against a company accused of contaminating a local water supply. A panel discussion followed the screening, including Ms. Pustay, Deputy Information Minister Norris Tweah, Information Commissioner Mark Freeman, Former Information Minister Laurence Bropleh, and Green Advocates Director Alfred Brownell.

On Thursday evening, a private reception was held in Monrovia for the opening of Exhibition in the Archives: A Walk through Liberia’s Documented History from Pre-Colonization to Present Day. The exhibit, funded by USAID and Open Society Institute West Africa, is a collaboration between the Center for National Documents and Records Agency and The Carter Center. It aims to highlight the value of freedom of information and records management to preserve history and influence the future. The exhibit gives Liberians, for the first time, the opportunity to view their country’s newly rediscovered, original Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Howard Payne, National Archives volunteer and founder of the nonprofit Research and Resource Center, looks at Liberia’s handwritten Declaration of Independence for the first time. He later discussed the importance of bringing information to the Liberian people: “This is a day I’ve been waiting for – it’s very important as a young Liberian man. If we take information to the Liberian people, especially emerging generations, I think better things will be done through our national government. If the citizens are well-informed, they become participants in decision-making.” (Photo: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

Laura Neuman, Carter Center’s Global Access to Information manager, speaks to the audience at the National Archives about the creation of the exhibit: “We worked to support the passage of what is one of the stronger access to information laws in the world, and really the first comprehensive law in West Africa. I was here meeting with colleagues when Director General Bloy Sayeh whispered in my ear, ‘I need to tell you something. We just found our original constitution and declaration of independence from 1847.’ And it gave me chills. We asked ourselves, can we possibly make this the cornerstone of this exhibit? For us, this really represents the value of freedom of information. Records, documents are the backbone of freedom of information, and if you don’t have them, then what are people really requesting?” (Photo: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

Events then moved to Buchanan, beginning with a debate among local university students regarding whether freedom of information challenges government. After the debate, government and civil society freedom of information champions played a friendly soccer match with players donning 2013 International Right to Know Day tee-shirts imprinted with the national slogan: “Tell it, show it, let’s know it!” Off the field, the players met to discuss obstacles and potential solutions for advancing the right of access to information in Liberia.

On International Right to Know Day itself, Sept. 28, a marching band led a parade of hundreds through the streets of Buchanan in celebration of Liberia’s right of access to information. The march culminated at the fairgrounds for an indoor program with speakers from government and civil society who celebrated the recent successes and shared challenges and next steps for assuring vibrant freedom of information in Liberia.

The Carter Center; the Liberian Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism; the Independent Information Commissioner; the Center for National Archives and Documents Agency; the Liberian Freedom of Information Coalition; and seven county freedom of information networks joined together to hold these events.

Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church High School debate team, who took on the challenge of arguing that freedom of information presents too many challenges to be successfully implemented, prepare their rebuttal. The debate was organized as part of the activities surrounding International Right to Know Day in Buchanan, Liberia, on Sept. 28, 2013. (Photo: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

A Grand Bassa High School team member argues that freedom of information efforts benefit the government while the Seventh-day Adventist High School team (in pink) argues that freedom of information challenges government. Grand Bassa was announced as the winner of the debate on Sept. 28 during the main International Right to Know Day program in Buchanan. Events were coordinated in collaboration with local Grand Bassa County Freedom of Information Network which is directly supported by The Carter Center. (Photo: The Carter Center/K. Mackey)

Participants take part in a parade celebrating International Right to Know Day that progressed through the major port town of Buchanan, Liberia, on Sept. 28, 2013. (Photo: The Carter Center/M. Darrough)

]]>http://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/09/30/carter-center-celebrates-international-right-to-know-day-with-liberians/feed/2Laura Neumanirtkd-2013-howard-payneirtkd-2013-laura-neuman-liberiairtkd-2013-liberia-debate-teamIRTKD-2013-grand-bassa-high-debateirtkd-2013-participants-liberiagliberia-access-to-infoLocal Georgia Police Chief Travels with Carter Center Mental Health Program in Liberiahttp://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/09/27/local-georgia-police-chief-travels-with-carter-center-mental-health-program-in-liberia-2/
http://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/09/27/local-georgia-police-chief-travels-with-carter-center-mental-health-program-in-liberia-2/#commentsFri, 27 Sep 2013 14:30:46 +0000http://blog.cartercenter.org/?p=4269]]>Moultrie, Ga., Police Chief Frank N. Lang Sr. recently traveled with the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program to Liberia where he helped train local law enforcement officers on how to support people experiencing a mental health crisis. Read more about Chief Lang’s work with The Carter Center in The Moultrie Observer >

Moultrie, Ga., Police Chief Frank N. Lang Sr. presents a clinician’s badge to a new graduate of the Carter Center’s fifth class of locally trained and credentialed mental health practitioners in Liberia during graduation ceremonies held in August 2013. (Photo: The Carter Center)

On Aug. 19-22, the Carter Center’s Access to Justice Project, in collaboration with Liberia’s ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, trained 30 youth leaders in Kakata on conflict resolution skills and knowledge of the rule of law.

The training aimed to empower young people by giving them knowledge of legal issues,including an overview of the Liberian Constitution and dual justice system (formal and traditional), inheritance and child custody disputes, conflict resolution, and land law with a focus on land ownership and tribal certificates.

Participants are expected to use this knowledge to assist their local chiefs in resolving conflicts and to help enhance the implementation of laws that are under the direct jurisdiction of these chiefs.

“Dispute resolution and leadership skills training helps youth see themselves as playing an important peacemaking role in their communities,” said Pewee Flomoku, deputy chief-of-party for The Carter Center in Liberia.

This has been the case for youth leader Ralph Paye, who attended the Kakata training as well as several other Carter Center rule of law workshops since 2010. His local chief recognized his potential and gave him tasks to do in the community. Paye also looks for other youths who could benefit from these workshops and recommends they attend them.

“Mediation skills was the most useful training I have attended,” said Paye. “I now can help resolve situations in my community before they escalate.”

Paye aspires to be a chief one day, and his understanding of justice will help him be a good leader.

“Our programming addresses the root causes of youth violence,” said Flomoku. “By giving youth the knowledge and the skills they need to resolve conflict, be strong community leaders, and advocate for their peers, they become active and productive members of society. This will help keep peace in Liberia.”

Youth training on conflict resolution skills and knowledge of the rule of law was held by The Carter Center in Kakata, Liberia, in August 2013.

Filed under: Conflict Resolution, Liberia, Rule of Law]]>http://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/08/29/carter-center-trains-youth-leaders-in-liberia/feed/0The Carter Centerralph-paye-youth-leader-liberiaconflict-res-youth-training-liberiaCarter Center Receives Ronald McDonald House Charities Grant for Mental Health Work in Liberiahttp://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/01/29/carter-center-receives-ronald-mcdonald-house-charities-grant-for-mental-health-work-in-liberia/
http://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/01/29/carter-center-receives-ronald-mcdonald-house-charities-grant-for-mental-health-work-in-liberia/#commentsTue, 29 Jan 2013 17:05:15 +0000http://blog.cartercenter.org/?p=3825…]]>One Liberia’s first mental health clinicians, primary care nurse, Quendi Appleton celebrates receiving her diploma from the Carter Center’s Post-Basic Mental Health Training Program in August 2011. The training program is part of a partnership between The Carter Center and the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that has dramatically improved access to desperately needed mental health services in the post-conflict country. (Photo: The Carter Center/P. Rohe)

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) has awarded The Carter Center $200,000 to support the Mental Health Program in Liberia. The funding will be used to train mental health care providers and to build supportive community environments that will benefit individuals suffering from mental illnesses and their families.

The Center’s work to train mental health professionals in Liberia is a prime example of the “train-the-trainer” style programs that RMHC supports via its Global Grants program. As part of its mental health initiative in Liberia, The Carter Center is working to create a sustainable mental health system in Liberia that will address a broad range of mental health conditions. The overarching goal over the five-year period is to improve functioning in people with mental illnesses in the most populous counties of Liberia, with specific targets of training 150 specialized nurses and physician assistants and 300 other mental health professionals, such as community mental health workers.

In addition to building a mental health work force, the Center also assists the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare by: collaborating on implementation of the national mental health plan; developing support models for family caregivers; promoting mental health advocacy; and working to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses.

Filed under: Health, Liberia, Mental Health]]>http://blog.cartercenter.org/2013/01/29/carter-center-receives-ronald-mcdonald-house-charities-grant-for-mental-health-work-in-liberia/feed/1The Carter Centerquendi-and-diplomaCarter Center’s Mental Health Work in Liberia Highlighted by New Foundation: Focusing Philanthropyhttp://blog.cartercenter.org/2012/05/01/carter-centers-mental-health-work-in-liberia-highlighted-by-new-foundation-focusing-philanthropy/
http://blog.cartercenter.org/2012/05/01/carter-centers-mental-health-work-in-liberia-highlighted-by-new-foundation-focusing-philanthropy/#commentsTue, 01 May 2012 15:46:11 +0000http://blog.cartercenter.org/?p=2941The Carter Center’s work to improve access to mental health care in Liberia is highlighted as one of 14 nonprofit recipients of a new foundation, Focusing Philanthropy, which seeks to connect potential donors across the United States with charities demonstrating strong achievements and excellent fiscal management.

Focusing Philanthropy was co-founded and is chaired by Larry Gilson, a former investment broker …

]]>The Carter Center’s work to improve access to mental health care in Liberia is highlighted as one of 14 nonprofit recipients of a new foundation, Focusing Philanthropy, which seeks to connect potential donors across the United States with charities demonstrating strong achievements and excellent fiscal management.

Focusing Philanthropy was co-founded and is chaired by Larry Gilson, a former investment broker whose company handled more than $1.5 billion of equity capital from pension funds, insurance companies, college endowments, and high net worth individuals.

Part of the first class of Carter Center trainees in 2011, newly graduated and credentialed mental health clinician Quendi Appleton celebrates the beginning of her career helping people with mental illness in her country. Since the first class, The Carter Center has trained 39 local mental health clinicians, with an ultimate goal of 150 within the next few years. (Photo: Carter Center/P.Rohe)

Gilson says he and his colleagues wanted to find charities to support that could stand up to the same rigorous evaluations as the funds they had managed during their professional careers.

“We are all exposed to nonprofits tackling worthy causes, but which of them have substantial impact?”Gilson asked. “Which are institutionally credible? Which have shown the capacity to use additional donations effectively? Our goal is to make other conscientious donors aware of the opportunities we have winnowed through this extensive vetting.”

Focusing Philanthropy selected 14 U.S.-based and international organizations that work in three key areas: helping to build community infrastructure and resources, increasing self-sufficiency, or raising individual and community income.

The psychological impact of the long civil war in Liberia, which ended in 2003, has contributed to a mental health crisis. Less than 1 percent of Liberians have access to appropriate mental health services. In partnership with the Liberian government, The Carter Center aims to train 150 local, credentialed mental health clinicians, improve mental health policy, as well as conduct other activities to reduce stigma against mental illnesses.

“We are grateful for Focusing Philanthropy’s dedication to making a difference in lives of those with mental illnesses in Liberia,” said Rebecca Brookshire, senior associate director of development for health programs at The Carter Center.

A torrential rain began in Monrovia, Liberia, causing the power to flicker and the Internet to shut down, but Georgia Institute of Technology professor Dr. Ellen Zegura didn’t let the disruption stop the computer and software training session she was holding with Liberia’s first …

]]>Paige Rohe is assistant director, news and information, of the Carter Center’s Office of Public Information.

A torrential rain began in Monrovia, Liberia, causing the power to flicker and the Internet to shut down, but Georgia Institute of Technology professor Dr. Ellen Zegura didn’t let the disruption stop the computer and software training session she was holding with Liberia’s first class of mental health clinicians.

Overcoming challenges is one of the foundations of Georgia Tech’s Computing for Good (C4G) initiative, through which students and faculty explore computing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems.

“We’re all familiar with the impact of computing on things like business productivity in the developed world, but I think we are just starting to see the ways that technology can have impact on the developing world,” says Dr. Zegura, professor and chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Computer Science. “Our C4G work with The Carter Center in Liberia is a fantastic opportunity for us to take some theories of what might work in an extremely technologically limited setting and actually apply them on the ground.”

Since 2010, Georgia Tech has collaborated with the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program Liberia to provide the software and support that the Center and the Liberian government need to monitor the nation’s progress in building a sustainable mental health care system. The Carter Center’s five-year project in Liberia is training a cadre of local mental health clinicians and working to reduce stigma and discrimination against mental illnesses.

One of the world’s poorest nations, Liberia still is recovering from a brutal 14-year civil war that ended in 2003. Because millions of Liberians suffer from mental illnesses but have virtually nowhere to turn to receive cost-effective treatments, the Liberian government has made improving access to mental health services a priority. However, one of the major challenges of this effort has been for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to identify where the greatest areas of need are and how to most effectively use resources to address those needs.

“Georgia Tech really has helped The Carter Center and Liberia to leapfrog over technological challenges that would have delayed our ability to achieve our goals or diverted our limited funding from other important activities,” says Shelly Terrazas, assistant director for the Carter Center’s mental health project in Liberia, who is herself an alumnus of Georgia Tech. “Georgia Tech’s support has been invaluable as we seek to prevent unnecessary suffering among some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Dr. Zegura and her C4G team of undergraduate and graduate students spent months designing software that allows the Center and the Liberian government to anonymously track patient outcomes to evaluate the clinician training program and conduct health surveillance and monitoring. Her team also extensively researched computers, smartphones, and other devices to see which would be most appropriate for the country’s uncertain electricity supply and extremely humid and hot tropical climate.

Careful consideration was taken in how to design these computer-based patient evaluation tools so they could be used easily by the new mental health clinicians, many of whom had limited or no previous experience working with computers. In addition, understanding that many of the clinicians will work in very isolated and rural areas, Georgia Tech created an online tool for the clinicians to stay connected with one another, remotely support each other, and brainstorm options for difficult patient cases.

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Computer Science Chair Dr. Ellen Zegura spent hours training Liberia’s first class of 21 mental health clinicians to use specially designed software and custom Hewlett-Packard laptops to help The Carter Center and the Liberian government track progress in their efforts to build a sustainable mental health care system.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Dr. Zegura is busy planning the next step of the project now that the clinicians are deployed to the field and using the technology she and her team worked so hard to provide.

“I am excited about the next four years of this project and how Computing for Good can help The Carter Center and its partners not only do good, but also how we can contribute to a greater understanding of how these technologies can be used around the world,” says Dr. Zegura.

In August 2011, Dr. Zegura participated in the graduation ceremonies of the first class of Carter Center-trained Liberian mental health clinicians, handing each of the new graduates custom laptops provided by The Carter Center. Dr. Zegura plans to continue to work with The Carter Center to evaluate the use of these tools as the Center completes its mental health work in Liberia over the next four years.

All Photos: D. Hakes/The Carter Center
Liberians lined up to vote on a rainy morning in Monrovia on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Credible elections in 2011 are a key test of whether …

]]>Deborah Hakes, assistant director of the Carter Center’s Office of Public Information, reports from Liberia, where the Carter Center’s international election observation team monitored the country’s Oct. 11 elections.

All Photos: D. Hakes/The Carter Center
Liberians lined up to vote on a rainy morning in Monrovia on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Credible elections in 2011 are a key test of whether the country’s institutions are strong enough and its leaders are sufficiently committed to creating the conditions for an open and competitive process. This is the first election to be administered primarily by the National Elections Commission and the first to be held under Liberia’s 1986 constitution.

At the William Tubman High School in Monrovia, Liberians waited in line for several hours ahead of voting, which started at 8 a.m. There were 16 candidates for president, including Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change, Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party, and current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party. If a single candidate does not receive a majority vote (50 percent plus one vote) on Oct. 11, a presidential runoff election will be held.

Voters were enthusiastic despite the rain, which varied from a drizzle to a heavy downpour all morning in Monrovia.

Tape marks where voters will soon line up on Oct. 11 before polls opened.

A polling official looks up a voter’s ID card to be sure they are registered to vote in that location. Liberia’s National Elections Commission hired and trained more than 27,000 poll workers for 4,457 polling places on election day.

Part of poll opening procedures by polling station staff includes sealing the empty ballot boxes.

Voting gets under way at the William Tubman High School.

Polling staff answer questions from Liberians in line to vote.

National, political party, and independent party observers in their designated seating area watch as a polling official checks the ID of a voter.

General Gowon watches a woman cast her ballot on Tuesday morning in Monrovia.

A polling staffer in Monrovia holds a woman’s infant as she casts her ballot, then inks the woman’s finger with indelible ink.

A woman votes in Paynesville.

Voters wait in line at Liberia University.

General Gowon addresses the media on election day morning, as others take shelter from the rain.

Carter Center intern Aliya Naim observes polling in Paynesville.

Polls closed at 6 p.m. on Oct. 11. At this Waterside polling station, the presiding officer cuts the seals off a ballot box to start the counting process, as a polling official holds a lantern so he can see.